Platen printing-press.



No. 7|7,|40. Patented Dec. 30, I902.

. J. THOMSON.

PLATEN PBINTINGJBESS.

(Application filed Mar. 8, 1902.)

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(Application filed Mar. 8. 1902.

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No. 7l7,l40. Patented Doc. 30, I902.

'PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

(Application filed Mar. 8, 1902.) I

(No Modal.) 4 Sheets-Shoat 3.

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J. THOMSON.

PLATENPRINTIING PRESS.

- (Application filed Mar 8, 1902.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

UNlTED STATES JOHN THOMSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEWV PRESS COMPANY, OF JERSEY OITY, A CORPORATION OF NEWV JERSEY.

PATENT OFFICE.

YORK, ASSIGNOR To JOHN THOMSON NEW JERSEY, AND NEW YORK, N. Y.,

PLATEN PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 717,140, dated December 30, 1902.

Application filed March 8, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN THOMSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Platen Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin mechanism for platen printing-presses, and

[O has for its object to increase the efficiency, speed, and endurance of said presses and to decrease the liability to accidental damage and the cost of maintenance; and to these ends the invention consists in the various features I 5 of construction and arrangement of parts having the general mode of operation, substan tially as hereinafter more particularly point ed out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a left-hand side elevation of a press embodying the several details of the improved construction. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the apparatus for counteractin g the weight of the carriage and forminking rollers. Fig. 4 is a side view of one of the cam-gears and cam-lever for operating the form-inking rollers. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail View of the cam friction-rollers.

The general construction, arrangement,and

3o operation of the press will not be described in detail further than is necessary to do so in connection with the present improvements, it being understood that the press illustrated as embodying the present improvements is what is well-known on the market under the trade-name of the Oolts Armory Press and embodies the general features shown in Pa t" ents No. 372,993, granted November 8, 1887, No. 427,450, granted May 6, 1890, and No.

428,182, granted May 20, 1890.

Heretofore in presses of this general character the weight of the carriage, with its forminking rollers E and connecting operative parts, has been counterbalanced by weights directly or indirectly attached to the rockershaft 38, which actuates the carriage through the connecting mechanism. Such a construction, however, especially when the form-inking rollers are of large diameter, heavy, and

5c driven at a high rate of speed, increases the Serial No. 97,348. (No model.)

dead load on the bearings of the rocker-shaft, increases the momentum to be overcome at the reversal of the movement, and does not uniformly compensate the action of the carriage. Moreover, such a construction does not provide for an adjustment or change in the amount of the compensation. These objections are overcome by mounting inside of the frame, forward of the rocker-shaft 38, as upon a shaft 39, a lever 40, connected at its upper end 41 by a link 42 to an arm 43 of the rocker-shaft 38, while the lower end 44 is connected by a link 45 to a slide-block 46, freely mounted, as upon two shafts 47, fixed in a cross-head 48, bolted to the rear of the frame of the press, as at 49. A helical spring 50 is interposed on each shaft between the slide-block and the nut 51 on the threaded end of the shaft. Bymeansof these nuts the tension of the springs 50 may readily be increased or decreased, as they are located well forward and can be manipulated through an opening in the front of the frame of the press. As will readily be seen, the thrust of the springs against the slide-block 46 opposes the weight of the carriage transmitted to the side arms 2, as well as the connecting parts. In this way by a proper proportionment of the several levers, links, and working centers, such as is indicated in Fig. 3, an exceedingly ef- 8o fective, smooth, and durable action is provided; but as an excess of pressure results from the compression of the springs 50 as the carriage E and its form-inking rollers move down this is corrected by so locating the coacting parts that as the thrust of the springs increases so also will the elfective leverage, and vice versa. This is'indicated under a general working condition by the full and dotted lines in Fig. 3.

In order to operate the form-inking carriage and its rollers E, the rocker-shaft 38 is operated, by means of a cam-lever 8, through the connection P, (indicated in Fig. 1,) and this cam-lever S is operated by a closed cam 95 7 on the face of the gear-wheel 9. The camlever rocks on the shaft 70, and the arm 71 of the lever as heretofore constructed carried a friction-roller engaging the cam 7. It

is well known that there is great wear upon roo these parts, and in order to overcome the friction and reduce this wear to the least extent there is mounted in the arm 71 a rockershaft 72, having on its inner face a plate 73, supporting stud pins 74, upon which are mounted two friction rollers 75, which are preferably arranged, as shown, diametrically opposite and at an equal distance from the rocker-shaft 72, which is mounted to move freely in the bearing 76 in the arm 71. It will be apparent that with this construction as the actuating parts of the cam pass the rollers they will impart a rocking or vibrating motion to the plate 73 and its shaft, as indicated by dotted lines R S in Fig. 4:,Whl0h will also cause the lever 8 to swing upon its bearing 70 and move the carriage and its form-inking rollers through the connecting mechanism. Thus the plate and its shaft 72 73 partake of two motions-vibration on their axis N and a swing back and forth along the circular arc Y. This movement, while practically identical with that which results from a single roller, as has heretofore been used, has the advantage that twice the area of bearing-surface is provided and but half the pressure is sustained at the thrust-wall of the cam, the periphery of the rolls 75, and their bearings. The consequence is that not only is the friction of the parts reduced, but the endurance of the parts extended.

What I claim is- 1. In a platen printing-press, the combination with the carriage and form-inking rollers, and a rocker-shaft and connections for actuating the carriage, of rods, a slide-block mounted on said rods, connections between said slide-block and said rocker-shaft, and thrust-springs adjustably mounted upon said rods, substantially as described.

2. In a platen printing-press, the combination with the carriage and form-inking rollers, and a rocker-shaft and connections for actuating the carriage, of rods connected to the frame of the press, a slide-block mounted on said rods, a lever, a link connectingthe slide-block and lever, a link connecting the lever and rocker-shaft, and thrust-sprin gs adjustably mounted on said rods, substantially as described.

3. In a platen printing-press, the combination with the rocker-shaft, carriage, forminking rollers, and connections for operating the same, of thrust-springs, and connections between the thrust-springs and rocker-shaft whereby the thrust of the springs is transmitted to the rocker-shaft with approximate uniformity irrespective of variation in the tension due to the compression and extension of said springs, substantially as described.

4. In a platen printing-press, the combination with a rocker-shaft, suitably connected to operate the form-inking rollers, a main gear-wheel and a cam, as 7, formed in the side of the gear, of a cam-lever, mounted on a shaft, as 70, its lower end suitably connected to the rocker-shaft and its upper end having a shaft, as 72, and a plate having two studs, carrying friction-rollers, engaged by the cam, whereby the'plate and its shaft are caused to vibrate upon their axes and to also rock the cam-lever upon its shaft,70,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN THOMSON.

Witnesses:

HELEN M. BLANOHFIELD, SAML. H. WEBB. 

